One big selling point for Apple in the “Android vs. Apple” debate is the ease with which Apple devices all link together. Whether it’s a feature like Sidecar, Handoff, Universal Clipboard, or even call continuity, it’s a pretty seamless ecosystem.
Apple could be losing a little ground in the fight though, as Google is working on a very similar feature that lets users link all of their Android devices together.
Also: Unlike iPhone, this new OnePlus device works when your hands are wet
While there’s been no official announcement from Google, this news came courtesy of Mishaal Rahan, a noted expert in all things Android.
The reported sharing feature would include call switching (moving a phone call from one device to another) and internet sharing (setting up a personal hotspot and having all devices connect). While those are the only two uses so far, it’s almost certain that other Apple-style features like easy file transfer (similar to Nearby Share for Windows) or an all-device clipboard would be available, too.
“When you link this device and turn on Bluetooth,” the screenshot shows, “others may be able to see your device name and some other device information. Apps can show you ways to share across devices.” Naturally, since Google is working on the feature, it would likely be a requirement that users be signed in to a Google account on the device to share.
Also: The best Android phones of 2023: Tested and reviewed
One major thing to note is that while Apple doesn’t let one iPhone transfer a call to another iPhone, the wording in Google’s description makes it sound like the Android share feature could do just that — something especially useful for people who have to carry more than one phone.
Once this feature fully rolls out, it should be available by finding “Link Your Devices” under the settings menu. There’s no timeline for an announcement, but since screenshots of the feature are already in the wild, it likely won’t be too long before we start seeing official word.
